Types of Travelers

Volunteering to work abroad can be a wonderful, at times life changing experience. You are often in a location that has a limited access to health care so you need to go prepared. Preventative health care is essential. At Nova Travel Medicine and Immunization Clinic the staff work a great deal with preparing travellers and volunteers so they are aware of many of the health and personal risks unique to their destination.

Back packing the world is often a rite of passage in life. You see the world differently. You bring back memories and experiences. What you don’t want is to bring back is ill health. You don’t want to cut the trip short due to illness. You have saved up too long. Back packers often will take risks while on their journey that they would not have taken at home. We pay particular attention to this group of travellers. The most common problems are vector borne infections, i.e. malaria and dengue, sexually transmitted infections as well as food and water related illness.

Working/Business

Leaving home and working abroad for a prolonged period can be stressful enough. You want to be fully prepared to perform your duties without the added stress of worrying about your health. Those who work abroad for prolonged periods of time are a unique group to the clinic. We will sit down with you and review your destination and relevant health risks. We discuss medications and immunizations available to keep you safe.

Tourists

You have saved up money for months or years. You may only be travelling for a short period of time so you want to get the most out of your vacation. The last thing you want is to spend it in bed or worse at a hospital in a foreign country. Simple steps and measures can help you to stay healthy and get the most out of your trip. Food and water as well as insect precautions and immunizations can help you remain healthy. Here is where a few moments of prevention are worth weeks or months of cure.

Visiting Family and Relatives

This type of traveller is the most at risk for illness. Often when visiting family people may not get vaccinations or medications needed since they are going home to where they grew up. This group of travelers may think they are immune to local infections. Unfortunately once you live away from your home for a number of years the immunity you once had to infections unique to your old home country disappears. This group is at particular risk for malaria, typhoid fever and travellers diarrhea. Often young children are involved as well so special attention must be paid to them as well. Pre-travel advice and immunizations are highly recommended.